Paradise Now!

One of the stumbling blocks to understanding the Quran, or any sacred scriptures, is to take them too literally. When one reads them metaphorically, as poetry, we discover many levels of meaning which speak to the many levels of human consciousness. Then the beauty and wisdom they contain blossom for us in new ways.

In the reading I have chosen from the Quran for today, this is most especially true, because it is not just about some future state of bliss in Paradise, but a sublime state of consciousness which human beings can experience here and now.

The following words are taken from Lex Hixon's wonderful book "Heart of the Koran," which is really a collection of his meditations on passages from the Quran, rather than being literal translations into English from the original Arabic. I recommend his book to you as a marvelous window into Islamic spirituality from a Sufi standpoint.

"When the day of Enlightenment dawns,

the soul,

expressed as a luminous body,

the face of its being suffused with calm joy

awakens into the supernal garden of the Divine Presence,

overwhelmed to comprehend at last

the full significance of its own spiritual commitment.

In this perfectly Awakened state called Paradise,

the sublime Resonance of God

is experienced within the soul continuously,

like a bubbling spring,

without the slightest distracting sound

of mundane thought or conversation.

The soul finds waiting there

the graceful chalice of unceasing prayer,

the soft pillow and silken carpet of silent meditation,

and the majestic throne of mystic union."

This is my prayer of response:

Yes, I wake up each morning.

But I am still awakening

to You, Divine Presence.

My soul is still half awake too often.

Beloved One,

I long to experience You continually

as the bubbling spring of Eternal Life

in the flower garden of my soul.

I meditate on Your Being

as flowers turn towards the sun.

Your Glorious Names fall

like rose petals

on the soil of my heart,

and the fragrance of the remembrance of You

perfumes the day and night

with Divine Delight.